1980 was one of those moments in history when a whole movement spanning the globe clicked into place; the NWOBHM in the UK, Anvil, Exciter and Riot in North America, and Grave Digger in Germany. All were united by a love of the loud and a desire to push the boundaries of what metal could be and were instrumental in shaping the nascent speed and thrash metal movements. Like many pioneers Grave Digger were usurped by those who followed and refined their sound for mass consumption, but aside from a late ‘80s wobble (including name changes to Digger, and Hawaii) Grave Digger have released a stream of solid albums which leads to their latest effort, Bone Collector, a record that cements their status as one of Germany’s best (and most beloved) bands.
There’s something so refreshingly heavy metal about opening (and title) track ‘Bone Collector’, that suggests if you chose the vinyl version it’ll be so heavy you’ll have trouble lifting if off your turntable. After the briefest of introductions, Grave Digger appear in all their pomp and glory. This is bold, brash and bombastic (in short, everything that good music should be) and goes straight in for the kill. The rhythm section beats a relentless tattoo upon your solar plexus whilst the guitars buzz around your ears like a swarm of angry bees. Vocalist Chris Boltendahl is the band’s sole original member, yet the constant flux in personnel hasn’t hindered their progress in anyway, rather it has injected fresh blood and kept things frisky. The type of energy that ‘Bone Collector’ (and, indeed, the whole album) emanates places Grave Digger very much in the here and now, there’s no resting on past glories here and makes the perfect accompaniment to their 45th anniversary.
In many ways Grave Digger’s career mirrors that of Saxon; both had dallied with career suicide by taking a commercial route and both bands, having seen the error of their ways, made triumphant returns in the early 1990’s. Since then Grave Digger (like Saxon) have been giving fans exactly what they want (i.e. kick ass heavy metal) and it has served the band well, leaving a trail of critically acclaimed albums in the wake. There’s a lesson here to all young musicians and a way to circumnavigate embarrassing offerings such as Rock The Nations and Stronger Than Ever, and that lesson is to stick with the heavy stuff.
Bone Collector works so well because it is built for the long haul. After the frenetic fireworks that characterised the opening couplet, the album ebbs and flows perfectly between mean and moody cuts such as ‘Graveyard Kings’ and all-out thrashers like ‘Forever Evil & Buried Alive’. While any of these tracks can be pulled out and enjoyed individually, Bone Collector is best experienced whole to appreciate its ululation as it lifts the listener one moment, only to drop them from a great height the next, before arriving at haunting closer ‘Whispers Of The Damned’, one that suggests the 2025 is going to be a hell of a year for Grave Digger!
- Bone Collector is released via RPM-ROAR on 17th January 2025 (available here).
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Track List:
- Bone Collector
- The Rich, The Poor, The Dying
- Kingdom Of Skulls
- The Devil’s Serenade
- Killing Is My Pleasure
- Mirror Of Hate
- Riders Of Doom
- Made Of Madness
- Graveyard Kings
- Forever Evil & Buried Alive
- Whispers Of The Damned
